This Land Is Mine Page #2

They saw it this morning. You saw it.

Even Miss Martin.

Sit down, Mr Lory. No, sir.

Now she knows I'm a coward.

Would you like to be transferred

to where there are no air raids?

No, no, no. Because of Miss Martin?

Yes. Does she know how you feel?

I thought you were

a confirmed bachelor like me.

Like all young men, I fell in love,

but she died.

I found great comfort in my work -

our work.

My family became this school,

my books, my teachers, my pupils -

many of them have grown up.

It's wonderful to be a schoolmaster.

It's a life work, Lory.

You sacrifice a lot

but you receive a lot.

We are the most important people

in the land.

Now is a time for sacrifice

more than ever.

Our real happiness lies

in doing our job well.

Our mayor was here this morning

talking about duty.

I prefer to use the word job.

These books must be burnt.

We can't resist physically.

But morally, within us,

we can resist.

We contain those books,

we contain truth.

They can't destroy the truth

without destroying all of us.

We can keep the truth alive

if the children believe in us.

Children like to follow a leader.

There are two kinds of leader.

We have no weapons, we don't march

except to air raid shelters.

Our heroes are called criminals

and shot against walls.

The others have guns and parades.

They teach violence, vanity,

everything that appeals to children.

Their criminals are called heroes.

That's a lot of competition, Lory.

Love of liberty isn't glamorous.

Respect for people isn't exciting.

There's one weapon

they can't take away - our dignity.

It's going to be a fight,

it IS a fight.

If the children admire us,

they will follow us.

EXPLOSION:

We will win, Lory.

Or maybe we will get shot.

Everyone of us they execute

wins a battle for our cause,

because he dies a hero and

heroism is glamorous to children.

I don't ask you to die -

not immediately.

Think about these things and they'll help

when we are visited by our friends in the sky.

Can you handle your class

and feel less nervous next time?

Yes, I'll try. Good.

Professor Sorel. Yes, Victor?

What's the trouble? There's been

a wreck at the railroad yard.

Now it begins. They'll take

hostages even if it was an accident.

Now we've got to be strong, Lory.

Number nine.

I haven't touched it since.

Was it all right?

Yes, I watched the train back in.

Well, I expected it to but it ended

up in front of the other train.

It was too late to do anything.

See if it works now.

Control cable's broken. Cut.

You know nothing about it? No,

it was all right when I pulled it.

You turned in

an illegal newspaper this morning.

That's right, sir.

Any idea where it comes from?

No, sir.

If you do get an idea,

will you report it?

I think so.

Martin, this was an accident.

You understand? Yes, sir.

So, Hans, am I in a jam?

Ach, no.

You smoke and forget it, Paul.

Thanks.

What's the old man up to?

Why does he call it an accident?

We never ask questions.

TRAIN WHISTLE:

Oh, Julie!

Where's George? In his office.

He's in an awful temper.

I'm worried about Paul. That fat pig

just left the switch tower.

If the boss asks,

I've gone to the warehouse.

You don't have to worry about Paul.

Go ahead and load, number four.

We'll get the tracks cleared.

Speed it up. George? Hello, darling.

The men will have to work overtime.

Refer any complaints to me.

Call me back when you're finished.

I'm in for some trouble.

Everything is in a mess.

I'm worried. So am I. Everything

seemed all right at the switch tower.

I work so hard to keep everything

moving. They'll blame me.

Perhaps I'm selfish

but I'm thinking about me.

Something's happened

that I don't understand. What?

I went to buy dinner and when I got

back, the house had been searched. I...

Excuse me, Lambert,

if I'm intruding.

That's OK. You know my adjutant? Yes.

Louise, this is Major von Keller

and Captain Schwartz - Miss Martin.

I know Miss Martin very well,

even if she doesn't know me.

It is my duty to know what the

teachers are teaching and thinking.

How are your friends in the sky?

I wanted to talk to you alone.

She wants to ask about

some papers she's lost.

Not lost, stolen.

My report says neither.

The forbidden pages were burned.

We protect the people

from their own mistakes.

What did you do? Nothing -

except prove our efficiency.

I found out what I wanted

to ask you. I'll see you tonight.

Don't be disturbed. We've more

important matters to discuss.

I've been investigating the wreck.

An unfortunate accident.

I wouldn't call it an accident.

Neither would I. It was sabotage.

I knew that illegal newspaper

would cause trouble.

Do you suspect anyone? I don't know.

Who prints the newspaper?

Every man in this yard gets a copy.

Find the publishers and find the

saboteurs. Logical but not helpful.

Not very intelligent

for either of us. You said sabotage.

It is sabotage.

You don't understand, my friend.

Look, if we call it sabotage I will

have to take hostages from the town,

and shoot them finally,

if the guilty are not found.

I don't like

to shoot innocent people.

Once you begin making martyrs,

it never stops.

Finally, we end up on a powder keg.

I see. The taking of hostages

will make the guilty more cautious.

The shooting

will make them more rebellious.

Next time,

a troop train will be wrecked.

Fortunately, no German soldiers

were killed.

Whatever was destroyed by

this "accident" can be replaced.

This town's good citizens

will eat less and talk more.

You can't be blamed for an accident.

In the meantime,

we keep our ears open.

I have many ears and you're in

touch with all those who work here.

Do you think they tell me anything?

They regard anybody

who gives orders as an enemy.

We had the same problem in Germany,

during the Republic

under capitalism.

I killed workers with my own hands

for our Fuhrer.

With both hands then. For my class,

it was either kill or be killed.

But we won and now we are brothers

- absolute obedience.

I too fought the unions

in this yard. I nearly died.

You had a leader and were many.

We had no leader and were few.

That's why you're here.

But not as your enemy. If you were,

I wouldn't do what I do.

We're here to rebuild your country.

Remember Germany before our Fuhrer?

A country

without food, arms or honour.

The people were waiting

to be told the truth.

We have shed German blood to give that

truth to your people and the whole world.

Your ideas are my ideas.

I saw our country being destroyed.

False democratic ideas,

women refusing to have children,

strikes for a 40-hour week when

your people worked 70 and 80 hours.

I want the new order for my country,

I work for it.

I know we can't have it

until this war is over.

But the truth is

I don't like the occupation.

Neither do I.

I'm glad we understand each other.

We both want this war to end.

Only then can Europe

be peaceful and united.

Only then can men like you

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes